Why Ordering Meatballs To-Go At Olive Garden Can Be A Letdown, According To Customers - Tasting Table

"Olive Garden's side dishes usually take a backseat to the main meals, and when you consider that most entrées come with a certain side by default, customers are even less likely to peruse that section of the menu. But if do you decide to take a look, you'll discover something exciting: You can order three of the chain's meatballs as a side dish for around $4. The only catch is that when ordered to-go, the dish might be missing a rather crucial component: The sauce."

"A customer complained on Reddit that they ordered the side of meatballs on three separate occasions, from various Olive Garden locations, and the dish sadly arrived un-sauced each time. The Redditor also pointed out that the photo on the online menu shows the meatballs slathered in marinara, which seems misleading as a result. Several commenters in the thread, including a few self-proclaimed OG employees, claimed to have witnessed the same thing on multiple occasions."

"Luckily, you might be able to save yourself some grief by ordering your meatballs to go more wisely. Olive Garden's juicy meatballs are a far cry from the kind of leaden, dry lumps that need to be drowned in sauce to cover up their faults, but let's face it, marinara makes any meatball better. If you're afraid of your to-go order arriving without any sauce, type your request into the s"

Olive Garden sells a three-meatball side for about $4 that can be ordered separately. Multiple customers reported receiving that side unsauced when placed as a to-go order. The online menu photo displays the meatballs smothered in marinara, creating a perceived mismatch with some deliveries. Reddit commenters and some alleged employees offered conflicting accounts: one said extra meatballs are sauce-less by default, while others maintained the side should include marinara. Patrons ordering saucy entrées or spaghetti marinara may not notice the omission. Customers concerned about missing sauce are advised to explicitly request marinara on to-go orders.

Read at Tasting Table